


Life in the Wild

by alycat



Series: Wild 'verse [3]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: M/M, kink:knotting, kink:mpreg, kink:were!animals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-14
Updated: 2013-06-14
Packaged: 2017-12-14 23:20:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/842596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alycat/pseuds/alycat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Getting used to life in the packlands isn't easy in itself and it doesn't get easier when Jensen has to realize just how much his body is changing. Luckily Jared is a never ending support for him as they prepare to welcome their pups to the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Life in the Wild

**Author's Note:**

> Original notes and warnings from LiveJournal:
> 
> Pairing, rating & kinks: J2 - NC-17 - knotting, werewolves, mentions of prostitution, mpreg, mating, labor.

-¤-

Life with Jared was everything Jensen had never expected to have: security, family and a weird kind of domesticity even though he now lived in the middle of the vast packlands. It also stood in stark contrast to the life he had known before, his old life nothing but concrete, exhaust fumes and the pure humiliation of what he'd had to do in order to survive. And yet all of that faded away in the face of his pregnancy. Jensen had given up his dreams of kids when he had figured out he was gay and he had given up all hopes of a family the first time he sank down on his knees for money. And yet, there he was, half asleep in their bed, in their home and with Jared a solid weight behind him.

A warm hand came to rest of the swell of his belly and Jensen startled slightly in surprise; he had been sure that the other men had been asleep but it seemed that Jensen's restless shifting had woken him up. Jensen looked back over his shoulder at Jared, his _mate_.

"Did they wake you up again?" Jared asked, voice rough with sleep and his breath warm against Jensen's cheek.

"Yeah," Jensen answered. "They stopped squirming a while ago, though. I just...can't sleep yet."

The pups woke him up almost every night, moving around inside him so much that even if Jensen had wanted to, here was no way to forget about the lives growing inside him. Not that he wanted to forget, not when the weeks since he had arrived in the village had been so damn _good_. Not when he already loved the pups he had yet to meet.

"You've changed since you came here," Jared said, clearly as awake as Jensen himself was even though his voice was low and soft in the darkness of their cottage.

Jensen knew he didn't mean the growing swell of his belly, the change went much deeper than that.

"I think that's a good thing," Jensen mumbled. "The old me wouldn't have made for a good mate, or a good father."

"You were always meant to be both," Jared said and Jensen could almost hear the shrug in the were's voice.

Jensen thought it was Jared's easy support more than anything that had helped him to settle into his new life, his unwavering support even throughout the times Jensen had freaked out and almost been ready to return to the human world, pups or no pups. In fact, the entire werewolf pack had been nothing but supportive, not a single one having shown any signs of thinking Jensen didn't belong. Instead they treated him like he was something special and not just the ex-hooker that he was. With thoughts swirling in his mind, it took several long, silent minutes before Jensen became aware that Jared's hand were stroking lazy circles around his belly button, a soft touch that shouldn't be as arousing as it was. Despite the late hour and his attempts at going back to sleep Jensen felt his cock harden as he became more and more aware of Jared's naked body pressed up against his.

"Jay," Jensen whispered at the same time he pushed his hips back, making Jared's hard cock ride the cleft of his ass.

"You smell so damn good," Jared groaned, grinding against Jensen's ass. "You smell like home."

He could feel Jared move behind him, a shifting of the bed before the familiar scent of lube reached his nose. Jared didn't waste time working Jensen open, he was still loose enough from their evening knotting and Jared knew that, he only stroked lube down his length once before he got them both in position, sliding inside with one slow thrust. Despite their earlier activities Jensen couldn't stop himself from hissing as Jared's cock spread him wide, pushing deep enough that Jensen thought he should feel it in the back of his throat, taste it on his tongue. If Jensen had expected a hard fuck he was sorely mistaken, instead Jared started moving in deep but slow thrusts, one hand still on Jensen's belly.

"My perfect mate," Jared moaned. "Always so good to be inside you, to fill you up, can't wait for my knot and my come, can you?"

Before Jared he hadn't had much of a come kink but damned if the mere thought of Jared coming inside him wasn't enough to make Jensen's cock throb, pre-come dripping down on the bed in front of him.

"Faster," Jensen pleaded. "Harder!"

Behind him Jared chuckled and it made his cock shift inside Jensen, small movements that had Jensen clutching at the sheets as he tried to push back against his mate.

"No," Jared said softly, hand shifting to grip Jensen's hip to hold him in place. "Just like this, gonna make you come just like this."

The pleasure was so sweet it made Jensen want to cry, a slow building heat that pooled low in his belly before coiling up his spine. So good and yet so far from being enough and Jensen knew he was pleading, mindless words spilling from his lips as his hands clenched in the sheets. He could feel Jared's knot start to swell, pushing at his rim and Jensen wanted it, wanted Jared to push it inside and tie them together. A part of him longed for Jared to fuck him deep and hard, marking up his skin with hands and teeth but he knew it wouldn't happen, not when Jared was always so mindful of Jensen and the pups growing inside of him.

"Gonna knot you, baby," Jared groaned. "Gonna knot you so good."

With one slow but hard grind of his hips, Jared pushed his knot inside, making them both cry out in pleasure and when he felt Jared's knot swell inside him, pushing perfectly against his prostate, Jensen came, a slow orgasm that made him feel like his body was heavy with it. He moaned, rocking back against Jared and when Jared's hand drifted down to stroke his cock, he could feel his own come hit the rounded curve of his belly.

"Oh god," Jared groaned. "Just..like that..."

Jensen could feel Jared coming inside him, his come warm where it filled Jensen up and Jensen reached behind himself, resting his hand on Jared's hips, needing closeness beyond that of their knotting.

"Mate," he mumbled.

"Yes," Jared agreed. "My mate."

-¤-  
-¤-

Jared sat down on his haunches, looking down at the village sprawled out in front of him but there was really only one thing he saw as he took in the place where he was born and raised. Jensen sat on the steps to their small cottage, dressed in the same simple linen clothes that most of the pack favored and even from the distance Jared could easily see the roundness of his mate's belly. A part of him wanted to go down there, to push himself up against Jensen and feel the human run his fingers through Jared's fur but instead he stayed in place, watching as Jensen's gaze followed where Matt's pups were tumbling around in the grass in front of him.

For all that Jared himself could do to make Jensen feel more comfortable in his new life, it seemed to be those two werewolves that did the most in making the human start to fully accept what was happening and one day when Lee and Joey were old enough he would make sure to thank them for that.

_It's not long to go now._

He turned around to see Jeff come out of the forest, paws slightly damp from the lingering morning dew and Jared lowered his head in a greeting for his Alpha.

_It feels like it has been forever, and yet not close to enough_ , Jared answered.

If he could give Jensen more time to adjust he would, but he knew that the pups inside his mate's belly were working their own schedule, one that wasn't concerned with the worries of their parents. Each morning he moved his hands over Jensen's belly, trying to feel it grow and each day he felt small paws push at his hands from the inside.

_I think most parents think like that,_ Jeff said, sitting down next to Jared.

_Not Matt,_ Jared pointed out, drawing a small huff of a laugh from the Alpha.

_No, not Matt,_ he agreed. _But Matt isn't someone you should compare Jensen to._

Jared knew that was true but Matt was really the only one he had to compare with and it was a hard thing to not take notice of the open acceptance and love of the pack that Matt had always felt when worry and hesitation colored each word and movement from his own mate. Logically he knew that it was different, for Matt coming to live with the pack had been a dream come true but to Jensen it had been being thrown into a world he barely knew existed.

The two wolves sat still just at the edge of the forest, looking down at where Jensen sat watching the pups for several long minutes before Matt came out from his and Jeff's home, dressed in nothing but low slung pants and before Jensen, Jared might have looked twice, Alpha's mate or not, but as it was now, Matt had nothing on Jensen.

_I think I should give Sebastian more of the responsibility when it comes to interacting with the humans,_ Jeff said when the silence dragged out. _I have a feeling you don't want to stray far from the village once the pups have arrived._

Jared looked down towards his mate again, trying to imagine what it would be like to stray from his mate and their pups but the mere thought of it was enough to make him want to run down there, wrap Jensen in his arms and hold him close. He knew he might be possessive to the extreme but he was trying to keep it back, it was his issue to deal with and not something he was about to bother his mate with. When it came to Jensen, all Jared wanted to be was supportive but even so, he refused to be apart from his mate if he didn't need to.

_Thank you,_ Jared said, looking over to his Alpha. _I just hope he'll...get settled here in the end. It's still so new to him and I... I'm just glad he has Matt who understands him a bit more than I do._

_And if he doesn't?_ the Alpha asked. _It's not the easiest life to grow accustomed to, so what if he doesn't? If he misses the comforts of the human world too much?_

It was a question Jared had given a lot of thought to lately, twisting the words back and forth in his mind but in the end the answer had been as easy as breathing.

_Then I'll have to figure out how to live in the human world,_ Jared said firmly. _Mating with him....he never had a choice in it and I will do whatever it takes to make him happy._

He thought Jensen was happy actually; a lot of the tension and hesitation that had lingered at first had faded away but Jared wondered how lonely Jensen must be, one of only two people in the village that didn't have the gift of telepathy even if the werewolves only had it in their wolf form.

_Have you told how he has yet to change?"_ Jeff asked and Jared looked away from his mate, instead focusing down on his own paws and pressing his body down against the ground. _I take that as a no._

Jared could hear the disapproval in his Alpha's voice and he knew that he was in the wrong for not fully telling everything to Jensen and the excuse that he had wanted his mate to get used to his new life before throwing more at him was getting old. Slowly he looked down at the village once more and his Alpha didn't need to say anything more for Jared to reluctantly push himself up and make his way down the dirt path leading down towards the open area where most of the pack was gathered. He didn't know how his mate knew but the moment he came free of the trees, Jensen looked up and met his gaze over the distance and Jared was sure that his mate was smiling.

-¤-  
-¤-

Despite the pup on his lap demanding his attention, Jensen couldn't really take his eyes off his mate, a part of him longing to once more run his fingers through Jared's fur. It was something Jensen had never really expected of himself, how much comfort he would find even when his mate was in his feral form but there was just something with Jared pressing up against him, his body heat warming Jensen up and even as a wolf, Jared was still home to Jensen.

"Matt, mind taking this little one back?" Jensen asked, lifting up Lee from his lap.

"Sure," Matt answered and lifted up his son, ignoring the way the pup was squirming to get away. "Even though the little one is missing his uncle already."

Getting up from his sitting position wasn't easy, not with his belly in the way, the weight of it shifting his equilibrium but he managed to get up just as Jared closed in on them and his mate shifted to his human form without even slowing down. Jensen was just about to say something when Jared took a step past him and pushed the door open.

"We need to talk," the man said and Jensen felt a shiver run down his spine as worry settled deep in his belly

"That wasn't really what I wanted to hear," he mumbled, casting a quick glance over his shoulder before he followed Jared inside.

He saw Matt with Joey in his arms, but the man was kneeling down, mumbling something to the huge wolf that Jensen recognized as Jeff and he couldn't shake the feeling that the two of them were talking of him and Jared. Walking inside the cottage Jensen was grateful to see that Jared was disappearing inside their small bedroom and once he got back out he was dressed in soft pants and a faded blue t-shirt but even in clothes the sight of his mate turned Jensen's mouth slightly dry.

"What did you want to talk about?" Jensen asked, standing stiffly in the middle of the main area.

"Can we....sit down?" Jared asked, motioning for the worn but comfortable couch that Jensen wondered just how they had managed to get up to the remote village in the first place.

Jensen nodded and made his way over to the couch, grabbing the back and the armrest to lower himself down gingerly. It was obvious that Jared was yearning to help, his hands hovering in the air but it was a point in his favor that he didn't reach out for Jensen and the two of them settled down on the couch. Despite still feeling more than worried at the way Jared had approached him, Jensen relaxed some when Jared move closer until Jensen could feel the heat of the were's body against his leg.

"I might not have been completely honest with you," Jared said and that got Jensen's attention, fear coiling in his belly as he tried to make sense of just what Jared could be talking about.

"You...what?" Jensen sputtered, putting his hands on his belly in an act of self defense. "I'm...not your mate?"

It was the first thing that popped to Jensen's mind but as the words left his lips he could see pure shock on Jared's face and the next moment big hands covered his, rubbing circles over his belly.

"Of course you are!" Jared exclaimed. "God, how can you..."

He stopped suddenly, hands going still, and when Jensen looked up to meet the man's eyes he got the feeling that Jared could see right through him, right down to the very insecurities he had sworn to himself that he would never reveal.

"That's what you're afraid of?" Jared asked, cutting right through all the questions lingering on Jensen's tongue. "You're afraid I don't want you as a mate? You _are_ my mate and not just because you are a human mate. You're so much more than that. Damn it, Jensen You're everything, absolutely everything."

There was such earnestness in his voice that whatever Jensen had been about to say died on his tongue and he had to swallow thickly to try and find his own voice again. Jared moved closer, leaning in until his lips were brushing Jensen's in the softest of kisses at the same time as his hands started moving over Jensen's body again.

"I'm not..." Jensen started. "Maybe? I just, I'm nothing here and no, I don't mean because of what I used to be but I can't _do_ anything here, the only thing I'm truly bringing to this pack is the pups."

He looked down at his own body and not for the first time he found himself amazed by the changes that had happened, the big swell of his belly that freaked him out on some days and soothed him on others. Inside him he could feel the pups stirring, lazy movements that Jensen thought he could have lived with for years if needed.

"You're pregnant," Jared started and Jensen had to keep an eye roll at bay at those words. "Yes, I know, it's obvious but as for right now? What you are in this pack is a parent-to-be. Once our pups are born, you know they'll be all over the place and being parents might turn out to be a full time job."

"And if I want there to be more than that?" Jensen asked, expecting Jared to be upset by the question.

Jared moved closer, letting one hand move from Jensen's belly and back around his waist. pulling him in closer until Jensen's bely was the only thing that kept them apart.

"We might be living in the middle of nowhere, but you're my mate and I will always do everything I can to make your dreams come true," Jared said firmly and Jensen couldn't hold back the smile that curved his lips.

"For a wolf, you sure are a big sap," Jensen said softly. "Now tell me what you wanted to tell me."

Jared's gaze fell down to Jensen's belly and Jensen couldn't stop himself from shifting nervously, the good feelings quickly wiped away by nerves and he could feel the pups inside him move as well, stirred by his emotions. Neither of them spoke for several long minutes and Jensen didn't want to be the one to break the silence stretching out between them. One of his fears might have been soothed but he was still too worried about what Jared might need to talk about. For all the doubts Jensen had, he knew where he wanted to be, where he belonged, and that was with Jared. Weirdly enough, with each day that passed he also thought that maybe he belonged in the village as well.

"Your body was always made to carry pups," Jared said softly, eyes locked on Jensen's belly. "But...haven't you given thought to how they would come out of you?"

Jensen blinked.

In all honesty it wasn't something he had truly thought about, there were so many other things for him to think about and each time his mind had started going that way it had balked at the very thought of it but Jared's words forced him to finally think about the things his mind had blocked out.

"I... What is it you're trying to tell me?" Jensen asked quietly, trying to wrap his mind around it.

"When the day comes, your water will break and...your birthing channel will open," Jared said so fast that the words tumbled off his tongue.

"I don't have a..." Jensen started, eyes snapping up to meet Jared's gaze and then down at his own body. "Am I even human at all? This body of mine?"

"You're a human mate," Jared said, looking puzzled.

"But am I _human_?" Jensen asked, his voice high pitched and scared in a way he had never heard it before. "I have a birthing channel? Human's don't have wombs and birthing channels!"

Jensen could see Jared opening his mouth and he knew just what his mate was about to say and there was no way that Jensen would allow him to do so.

"Shut up," he snapped angrily. "You know what I mean. I'm a guy..we don't..I don't..."

Ignoring how hard it was to move Jensen pushed himself up off the couch, needing to put some distance between himself and Jared. What light there was in the room came from big window that faced out towards the forest surrounding the village. Like so many other things in the village, the big pane of glass had surprised Jensen but it was just one among all the other things he had yet to ask about. He stood by the window, looking outside. He could hear the sounds of the village seeping through even though their cottage was set right on the edge of the village and despite the big window, they had privacy. His hands moved nervously over his belly as he tried to make sense of Jared's words. He knew that Jared was still on the couch even though he was sure that his mate was longing to once more close the distance between them.

"I will actually...give birth?" Jensen asked without turning back against Jared.

"Yes, of course," Jared said slowly, voice slightly surprised.

"I thought, maybe you could just..." Jensen sighed. "There's c-section?"

He hadn't expected for the reaction he got and he spun around when Jared stood up sudden enough for him to overturn their small coffee table as he did so.

"You will not be cut open!" Jared growled. "No mate of mine will have their pups cut out of them, it's not natural and it's dangerous!"

"Women do it all the time," Jensen protested weakly.

" _Human_ women," Jared spat. "People with hospitals and medicine and everything like that. We don't have that here, what would we do with medicine when we can heal so fast? We can't do that here, it's not possible."

Jensen swallowed thickly, knowing the words Jared said were true but that also meant that Jensen himself would be the one responsible for getting his pups out, for making sure they were brought into the world safely.

"I got to.... I got a..." Jensen said without really getting the words out.

When Jared walked over to him, Jensen didn't pull back but he was grateful that Jared only stopped beside him, close enough for their shoulders to brush.

"You're not human," Jared admitted after a few long minutes. "Not fully, not really. You're a human mate, and that's better than both human and werewolf."

"It's not," Jensen said, unable to hold back a laugh. "You can turn into a wolf, I can get pregnant. I think you win."

"I really don't think I do," Jared answered roughly. "I mean..."

He didn't get further before Jensen cried out, sudden and sharp as both his hands wrapped around his belly and it was only Jared's quick reactions that kept him upright, strong arms catching him as he fell.

"Jensen!"

Pain ripped through Jensen's body, his belly cramping together painfully at the same time as another wave of pain seemed to be centered between his legs.

"What's happening?" he cried out. "Jared! It hurts, fuck, it hurts so much."

Jared's hands roamed over his body but for the first time ever the feeling of his mate's hands gave Jensen no pleasure and he couldn't hold back another scream of pain at the same time as he felt a painful ripping sensation between his legs and the next wave of pain that hit him was enough for Jensen to black out.

-¤-  
-¤-

"No, no, no, no."

Jared was barely aware that the desperate words came from him, all too focused on the way Jensen had just crumbled to the ground and only Jared's werewolf reflexes had kept his mate from hurting himself.

"Matt! Jeff!" Jared cried out, hoping that the Alpha and his human mate were still close by. "Jeff, please!"

It wasn't long before the front door to their cottage slammed open and Jeff and Matt both came inside and while Jared's emotions and thoughts were all over the place, Matt took one look at Jensen and started ordering the two alpha's around in a calm voice. Jared had always had a deep respect for Matt because even though the man wasn't _his_ mate the man was still a human mate, with all that entailed and he was grateful for the man to be there to calm him down.

"Jared, lift him up and take him to our cottage!" Matt said, kneeling down beside Jensen and pressing two fingers against his wrist. "His pulse is a bit high, what were you talking about? I'm not sure but I think that stress or something like that might have triggered an early labor."

"But the pups are not supposed to be here for...."

"Two weeks," Matt interrupted. "It's not a long time, now get your mate to my cottage!"

With a quick nod Jared carefully lifted up his unconscious mate, wincing when he saw the frown on Jensen's face that showed that passed out or not, his mate could still feel the pain and Jared hoped he wasn't making things worse as he stood up with Jensen in his arms. Jeff had already been ordered ahead and when Jared stepped outside he saw his Alpha exchange quick words with the people lingering outside, several of them looking over to Jared before they took off running through the village. Matt led them to the main cottage, pushing the door open and Jared carefully carried Jensen inside, not sure if he wanted Jensen to remain passed out or regain his consciousness.

He didn't have a choice though and just as he lowered Jensen down on the same bed where he had knotted his mate for the second time, Jensen's eyes flew open and he let out a shocked gasp.

"Jensen," Jared said, kneeling down beside the bed and resting one hand on Jensen's belly.

"Fucking...hurts..." Jensen groaned between clenched teeth.

Matt stepped into the room, pushing a pup out with his foot before he closed the door behind him and he looked surprised to see Jensen awake.

"Is something...oh...wrong?" Jensen got out and Jared could feel the cramping of Jensen's belly under his hand.

Jared didn't know what to answer to that, all his world narrowed down to worry about his mate and the pups growing inside him. For all the years he had spent hoping for a human mate, nothing could have prepared him for having one. Nothing could have prepared him for how little he could do to help his mate.

"You're in labor," Matt said. "It's a bit early, but not dangerous, I guess something stressed you out?"

The laugh that spilled from Jensen's lips sounded on the edge of panic and Jared couldn't really blame him for it.

"We...fuck...talked about me giving birth," Jensen said with a shake of his head and one of his hands lifted up to clench around Jared's hard enough for his knuckles to turn white.

It was a grip tight enough that had Jared been human, it would have broken bones. As it was, it did hurt but Jared didn't pull away, instead he leaned in and took in the smell of his mate, ignoring that sharp tang of fear that was just there under the forest smell that Jared knew so well. Matt's hand fell down to his own belly, a small gesture that Jared didn't even think he was aware of.

"I can see how that would be stressful," Matt agreed.

Jensen opened his mouth and Jared thought he wanted to snap at one or both of them but instead he threw his head back and a ragged sob escaped him, his body trembling under Jared's fingers.

"God, it hurts so much. How can it hurt like this?"

"That...uhm...would be the birthing canal opening," Matt explained.

"Fuck," Jensen groaned his eyes sliding shut and Jared wondered just how close his mate was to a full-scale freakout.

"I hadn't really planned for this to happen so soon," Matt said. "Had even tried to get my hands on epidural but it's not something that will arrive here for another few days."

"Matt," Jensen said, voice strung out and full of pain. "Shut the fuck up and get my pups _out of me_."

The next few moments were a blur of motions as the Alpha came inside, hand full of leaves that he handed over to Matt who quickly threw them into a mug before adding the water Jeff had also brought. The smell that filled the room was oddly familiar to Jared even though he couldn't fully place it until Matt sat down on the other side of the bed and explained to Jensen.

"This is Numbing Leaves," Matt said. "It isn't much but it is what we have here, most people here don't really have a problem with pain and healing so..yeah..."

He handed Jensen the mug and he didn't need to say something before Jensen was downing it in deep swallows, clearly willing to try anything as long as it might bring him some sort of relief but even so Jared could tell that Jensen was in pain, could feel it the same way he always felt where Jensen was. He was barely aware of Jeff trading a few words with Matt before once more leaving the room.

"I'm not sure you want to be here for this," Matt said, reaching for the bowstring of Jensen's pants.

Jared growled a sound loud enough that he knew it must hurt both Jensen's and Matt's ears but the very thought of anyone touching Jensen, no matter the reason, made anger rise inside him and he had to force himself to not grab Matt's wrist to stop him. Jared might be possessive but he wasn't stupid and he knew Jeff would have his hide if he lay a hand on the Alpha’s human mate.

"I'm sorry," Matt said, taking a step backwards. "Of course you will be here. Get him undressed and...comfortable."

"Jay..." Jensen said, words sounding more like a whine.

His hands felt too big, fingers clumsy as he slowly got Jensen out of his clothes and he carefully draped a sheet over his mate's legs and belly, covering him up and and helping him get his legs up.

"I can't do this, I just can't..." Jensen cried out. "Why...this can't be happening...this just can't..."

Jared heard the ripping sound, even more terrible than that when Jensen had passed out, at the same time as Matt mumbled something about the water breaking and Jensen screamed, louder than he had so far and his voice sounded hoarse, terrified. There were so many words Jared wanted to say, so much comfort but when he tried to speak Jensen screamed again, drowning out the sound of it and his grip on Jared's hand was hard enough to make Jared wince.

"This should be fast," Matt said from where he was sitting down between Jensen's legs, prepared to help the other human mate giving birth to the pups nestled inside him. "Jensen, can you hear me?"

"No, no, no", Jensen whimpered. "Make it stop. Jared, please, make it stop!"

"Shit," Matt snapped. "You need to make him push."

Just then the door opened and Jeffrey came back inside, blankets in one hand and more of the Numbing Leaves in the other.

"Jeff," Matt said, turning around. "He's not pushing. Order him to push, you're the Alpha, he must listen to you."

"No, Jeffrey said with a shake of his head. "I might be Alpha but I'm not _his_ alpha. Jared, this is something you must do for him."

"He's in pain," Jared said, panic in his own voice.

It wasn't the first time he had been present at a birth, but the pack gave birth in wolf form and Matt had always been so attuned to his life as a human mate that his births had never been a problem. There was no doubt that Jensen was fighting it every step of the way, his mind still not fully on board with all the changes in his life.

"He'll be in more pain if he doesn't push," Matt said with a frantic note to his voice. "Jared, the pups want to come out. They _need_ to come out or it might kill them, it might kill Jensen."

Jared was sure that Matt was freaking out too early, the labor hadn't been long so far, it could only have been some thirty minutes since Jensen had first cried out in pain. But Jared knew nothing of giving birth and the next time Jensen cried out, sharp and pained, Jared leaned in to press their foreheads together, tasting Jensen's breath against his lips.

"Mate," Jared said, forcing his voice to sound demanding. "I need you to push, can you hear me?"

To his surprise Jensen's gaze focused in on him and the man nodded, clenching his teeth together and the next moment he screamed out as his body tensed but he did push and Jared could hear Matt let out a sigh of relief even as he pushed Jensen's legs further apart.

"I hate you," Jensen groaned. "I hate you all. I'm never.. _fuck_...never letting you knot me again. Ever."

-¤-  
-¤-

"It'll be okay. I'm sure you'll feel different in a day or..."

A part of Jensen knew that Jared only meant to be soothing but he didn't care, he didn't want to listen to a word his mate was saying and when the next wave of pain hit him he almost snarled at Jared.

"When you've pushed pups out of your body, then we can talk. Okay?"

His mate had the good sense to stay silent, something Jensen hoped he would be able to thank him for when his world wasn't narrowed down to pain and the surreal knowledge that something was about to come out of him. No, not something but someone. Several someone's that had been growing inside him. Even though Jensen had seen his own belly growing, had felt the movement under the skin, there was a part of him that still struggled against the obvious truth, something that clung to the humanity he had left behind.

"Push!"

It was Matt but Jensen was back to himself enough to be able to know that he should listen to Matt and when the next cramp hit he pushed and he could feel it, could feel something move down and out of his body and the feeling was almost enough for him to pass out again.

"Fucking hell," he sobbed, not caring about the tears that spilled. "This is...so fucked up...this..."

The words got stuck in his throat when he heard a soft, pitiful whimper and the next moment Matt reached up to put a small body on Jensen's chest and in that moment, all the pain and fear was worth it. Wrapped in a towel was the smallest wolf pup Jensen had ever seen but if he had thought he would have a hard time connecting with a pup he was mistaken. The second he saw the tiny body, felt the heat of it through the towel, Jensen felt something inside him go soft and warm. It might be a wolf, fur still matted with fluids that Jensen didn't want to think about, but it was also _his_ baby. His and Jared's and Jensen looked up at his mate with wide eyes.

"We did this," Jensen said and he could hear the wonder in his own words.

"We sure did," Jared said thickly. "Welcome to the world, little boy."

Jensen didn't know how his mate could tell the gender so easily, but he knew that werewolves had a sense of smell that Jensen could only dream of. He was just about to reach down to cradle the little body closer when the next contraction hit and Jensen had to bite back a scream of pain and disappointment as Jared lifted the small body off him.

"How...many more?" Jensen gasped, trying to push and he couldn't understand how something so small could hurt so much.

"Not sure," Matt said, wiping his hands clean on a wet towel that Jeff was holding out for him.

"A first litter is usually between two and five," Jeffrey said.

The very thought of pushing out four more little bodies made Jensen want to sob but another contraction hit and he had no choice but to try and help his second pup find its way out. He felt like he was being torn open, body aching but having seen his first pup, he wanted to meet the others.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, wave after wave of pain fading only to be replaced by the next one but he got to welcome two more pups before Matt rested one hand on his belly as Jeff wiped the sweat from his brow with a damp towel.

"I think we're done here," Matt said. "Just the afterbirth and...yeah. Three pups, Jensen. You're truly a human mate now."

-¤-

Jensen's legs felt weak and it was only Jared's arm around his waist that kept him upright but he didn't want to return to bed, not quite yet.

"They're amazing," Jared said softly.

In the worn old crib in front of them the three pups were cuddled up together, fast asleep and Jensen felt pride swell inside of him at the sight of them.

"We did this," Jared grinned. "Well, you did most of the work but...god. Thank you."

"Can we move the crib closer to our bed?" Jensen asked, exhaustion and lingering soreness making his entire body feel heavy. "Don't want to be far away from them."

Jared nodded and helped Jensen over to their bed and he was grateful for the soft clothes he had been wearing since he had and the pups had been brought back home from Jeffrey's and Matt's the day before; they might not be stylish but they were comfortable enough to sleep in. He lay down in the soft comfort of the bed and watched as Jared lifted the crib closer until Jensen was able to reach it without having to get out of bed to do so.

"William," Jensen said sleepily. "I want the oldest one to be called William."

They had talked the names several times before, but all they had managed to agree on was what letter the names should start with. But Jensen had been sure since the first moment he had seen his firstborn.

"Wade," Jared said, getting into bed beside Jensen and pulling him close, fitting their bodies together in a way that Jensen had never fit with anyone else. "But what about their little sister?"

"I was thinking...Wilja," Jensen said, feeling Jared's warm body behind with a big hand resting on Jensen's hip, careful to stay away from where he was still too sore.

"I like that," Jared said. "Now then, did you really mean that about me never knotting you again?"

Jensen twisted around until he could see his mate, not caring about the strain to his abdomen but when he saw the teasing grin on Jared's face he just groaned and settled back down.

"No," he admitted. "But no more pups for awhile."

He heard the low sound of the pups moving around in their sleep and he couldn't hold back his smile. Even as worn as he felt in that moment, he had never felt more at home anywhere either. So maybe he didn't fully know his place in the pack apart from being a parent, but he was sure he would settle in to his new life in the wild.

"Wait," he said, suddenly realizing something he should have thought of before. "How long will they stay in pup form?"

-¤-  



End file.
